Petition drive starts to ban gay marriage

(March 17, 2004) - (Little Rock-AP) -- The Arkansas Marriage Amendment Committee is expected to formally launch a petition campaign today.
Members support an amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, and need 80-thousand,570 signatures to get the proposal on the November ballot. The wording of the proposed amendment has already been approved by Attorney General Mike Beebe.
Jerry Cox, president of Arkansas Family Council, a conservative education and research organization in Little Rock, has been serving as spokesman for the amendment committee.
He says the committee will be funded by donations from citizens and other groups who want to see marriage defined as between one man and one woman.